


Our Blood is Cold

by saffronsykes



Series: The Deeper We Go [1]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Catching Fire, Catching Fire Spoilers, Comfort, Crying, Drunken Confessions, F/M, Fear, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mockingjay Spoilers, Multi, Other, Polyamory, Prequel, Spoilers, Threesome, Threesome - F/M/M, effie/haymitch platonic, f/m - Freeform, m/m - Freeform, m/m/f
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-28
Updated: 2013-09-24
Packaged: 2017-11-19 18:04:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saffronsykes/pseuds/saffronsykes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prequel to Catching Fire (after the first book.)<br/>On their way to the Quartar Quell, Katniss goes to Haymitch for advice, and end up finding comfort in him and Peeta.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Katniss was never much of a talker. After the camera crews departed from District 12 they left the winning tributes to their families and private lives until it became time for their first tour. Katniss had practically become as reclusive as she was even before volunteering to save her younger sister from the Hunger Games. Peeta had taken her news badly at first. It had all been a lie, her affection for him. In time, and with help from his mentor Haymitch, Peeta finally understood and even accepted why she had done it. It was the reason he was alive right now. He could not hate her for it, or even harbor bad feelings for long. She was an amazing girl who had grown up too fast, she was his hero. 

As the weather changed Peeta started spending a lot more time with Haymitch, a companionship grew. They would stay up late speaking about the tour and sometimes Peeta’s new found talent: painting. He had been working on a portrait of Katniss and found Haymitchs advice helpful. While trying to get over Katniss, Haymitch had suggested Peeta try to express his emotions through the paint, the brush, the colors. 

The portrait was very private of course, it was like therapy for Peeta. As he neared the finish of the painting, one evening, he was hit with a rush of emotion. Like a punch to the chest it hit him, a vision, of the Hunger Games like he was back in the arena. He saw Katniss and the other tributes all dead covered in blood, each one having arrows sprout from their bodies. He looked to Katniss in horror, but saw that she was not covered in blood, but in purple juice from the poison berries. “No!” He screamed and in real time ripped the painting off its easel violently as the vision ended. 

A week later the Hunger Games Team of District 12 had reunited and boarded the train bound for the Capitol. Their false act of love for the cameras brought Peeta some relief from his vision. She was alive and smiled and kissed him. He felt extremely grateful that Katniss still played along and that her indifference for him and the truth of it did not affect the vision they created of star crossed lovers for the public. Haymitch had explored the reality of the situation with Peeta and the bakers boy confided in his mentor that he still loved her. 

Night fell and Peeta had gone to sleep in his room on the train, bundled in thick blankets snow falling lightly outside. Haymitch was drunk as usual in his private quarters when Katniss had interrupted his nights brooding. 

She was not one to speak of unnecessary things and she rarely made idle chat with anyone as far as Haymitch knew, so he knew something was wrong when she came and asked for advice. Listening to her plight about the secret visit from President Snow, he grew nervous and angry. Why couldn't the Capitol leave these fucking kids alone for five seconds. Haymitch had grown so accustom to no privacy he no longer tried to hide anything long ago. The girl had been careless, he expected more from "The Girl On Fire". 

After rubbing his temples and pondering how to deal with these children. No they were not children, they had that robbed from them long ago. Although Peeta still held his innocence in many ways, Katniss had been forced to be an adult since her father died in that mining accident. He pitied both of them. Their lives would never be the same. 

“Katniss.” He started calmly, she gazed at him all ears. He liked that about her those wise but young eyes. He took another sip of his whiskey not breaking the contact, “Neither of your lives will ever be the same. They will always be there, the cameras, the Capitol. Every Birthday, every Hunger Games, every time you take a shit. Honestly you’re the stronger of you and Peeta. If you want to keep your family safe, your friends… Your gonna have to learn to love that poor boy. “ She sat silently and Haymitch continued. “He’s a good kid and he is head over heels for you.” She looked a bit ashamed at his statement. “Katniss…” Haymitch sighed and took her hands in his. 

At the moment of contact Katniss let out a choked sob. Tears flowed from her eyes and Haymitch caught her in an embrace. “Honey, it’s okay. It’ll all be okay.” He patted her head and really wished Peeta were there to help him comfort this strong weeping hero of the Districts. 

All at once he swooped Katniss up with amazing strength and grace, and carried her gently to a familiar corridor, belonging to Peeta. Katniss let herself be held just for that moment completely lost on what to do. She was in love with Gale, but to save everyone she loved she knew what she had to do. She cried for the lies she would tell Peeta, and the public and ultimately herself. She let herself show weakness because she trusted Haymitch and she needed to be held just once before she had to face them again. She did not even realize where he was taking her. 

Haymitch had let this unresolved issue linger far too long, and he was scared. Scared of President Snow and scared for Katniss and Peeta the two people in this world he actually cared for. He had not realized until now how much they meant to him. 

Peeta woke startled at the entrance of Haymitch. “Wha-?” He asked half awake eyes going wide when he saw Katniss… Was she… Was she crying? The thought of Katniss Everdeen crying made a knot in his chest. Something was really wrong but the girl he loved, in Haymitch’s arms crying, shed a whole new light on her. He felt like crying too, merely because the stone cold Katniss showing something that deep. With only pajama bottoms on Peeta flipped the blankets to welcome them both to sit. Haymitch sat holding Katniss and glancing at Peeta whom was looking very concerned at Katniss. He touched her hair and Haymitch could see tears welling in his eyes. Wordlessly Peeta wrapped his arms around the shaking girl offering comfort. Peeta finally looked at Haymitch silent tears sliding down his cheeks. It made Haymitch’s chest ache. With no hesitation in his heart or mind he leaned over Katniss and kissed Peeta on the forehead. “We’ll be okay.” He said holding his Katniss and Peeta. He felt the tears in his eyes. “We’ll be okay.”


	2. Flint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch POV. On the way to the Tribute Tour and Quarter Quell, Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss develop a relationship based on comfort, mutual angst, and understanding. Catching Fire timeline.

I woke with Peeta and Katniss snuggled into my sides. We must have fallen asleep like this, after the waterworks.   
Nothing but comfort, i tell myself peeling away hardly rousing Peeta. Katniss stirs and I tell her to get a bit more   
sleep. The Capitols poodle, Effie trinket, is already in the food car, she looks at me with accusing candy pink eyes, I  
give her my best scowl and move to the bar. The cameras air what they want, I am free of guilt of sleeping innocently   
with two minors, their shared comfort and tears wash away all of that. What I have done with Peeta outside the cameras   
view is a different story. I battled with it at first, him coming to my home, seeking comfort from me. His new   
lifestyle was new to him. His family never had wealth, although they always ate, unlike Katniss'. They kept the bakery  
Peeta occupied his time with work, painting and me. It started when he came to me about Katniss, then he nightmares, it  
escalated into sex. It was not just sex, I fell for him. Not like romantic star crossed lovers, but mutual pain and   
understanding. We had both survived the Hunger Games, we shared the terror of the arena. The boy still had innocence,   
unlike the girl and me. He never took a life, he did not have the blood. There was still pain. The only person he ever  
loved, ever could love did not feel the same. So we coped, and I made love to him, although I would never utter the words.   
He deserved that much, someone to hold him, someone that /knew/, that understood. I only wish Katniss could be comforted   
this easily. She is more closed, more secretive, which drives Snow mad. That is where my heart catches in my throat.   
The Spark that was Katniss Everdeen.

The others want Revolution, Katniss' Designer, the Tributes from other Districts, District 13. This is where I am: do I   
risk them? The two people i care most about for the sake of 'Revolution'? For the Games to stop, for statement. It /is/  
wrong, but it is human nature. Will one uprising, even if we win, stop the slaughter of children? The whiskey is a high   
grade, perfect. Only Effie shares my feelings about sides: undecided. She does her best, to be the face of us. Of the   
Tributes and District Twelve. There are cameras in the train, and mics. She eats a mint colored macaroon,I down my first  
glass, and we sit, knowingly silent.   
"How's the bonbon, bonbon?' I start, as she takes a sip from her teacup. 

"A bit too sweet and under baked." She looks to me with a sardonic air, and I catch the meaning and give her a sarcastic   
grin with a sharp look of warning underlining it. She does not approve of me and Peeta, and now the idea of Katniss. 

"Well maybe it wants to be eaten anyway, it looks rather burnt to me." The macaroon looked perfectly flawless. She gives   
it up with another gulp of tea and a roll of her powder blue eye lashes. 

I pour another drink and Katniss appears, dressed with no signs of tears or weakness. I smile halfheartedly and pull the  
chair beside me out for her.

"Thank you." She mutters before filling her plate with breakfast, choosing high carbs and fat I notice. Smart girl.   
For as perceptive as Katniss is I wonder if she suspects her future as the symbol of our Revolution. I have done my part  
to keep her out of it. If she suspects something, she does not show it. For what its worth I think she thinks she will  
die in the next few weeks. We have talked about it, we have a 'plan'. Get Peeta out. I harden to think of what she will  
think of me after finding out my betrayal, about the rebels. We are using her like a puppet, like Snow uses us. I take a  
gulp of the bitter liquid, with anger and regret. I slam the empty glass on the table and storm off to release my  
frustration elsewhere. Effie jumps and I barely make out what she says to Katniss as I exit. 

I end up going to Peetas cart. He is still asleep, arms out and bare chest steadily rising and falling. His peace calms me.  
I just stand by the door and think. His painting is not finished, he left it behind. The one he wrecked. I told him that   
it was more beautiful with the paint smudged and canvas scratched. It was an expression, that is what painting was. So the  
next day he added a purple red color to Katniss' face, like blood, and then covers it up with a sheet the very last day of   
our time home.

There is a harsh alert that stirs him and makes my head reel madly. He sees me and then presses a button on the remote under  
his pillow. 

"I wanted to get up early." He explains and I nod with a wince. He notices the pain in my head and helps me to sit, he gets  
me a glass of water, which I think to refuse, but end up drinking it down just for sake of arguing with him. 

"I love you." I croak, quite drunk already, but he needs to know. He hugged me and I rest my head on his barrelly warm chest. 

"I know." He whispers and kisses the top of my head. 

He clearly does not care if the Capitol knows about us. If I were him I would not either. Whatever comfort that could be  
offered I'd give him. I locked my thumbs to the elastic of his waist band and he pulls out of the hug resting his hands on  
my shoulders.

"Not when your drunk." I look at him quizzically, he has never denied my touch before. "I want all of you, I want you here,  
when we..." He blushed so cutely, and I nod with a smile. 

"I'm sorry." I choke out, mood falling again, now turning to despair. He might never finish that painting, he might never get   
to make love again, or see his family and I am here getting lost in alcohol, still escaping. My face is wet without when he  
pulls me back in. I release the facade. He deserves that much from me. "I'm sorry for everything." I sob like I never have  
before, Peeta holding me and rubbing my back, he is solid. I am losing them, for this Revolution. I am so sorry Katniss, Peeta,  
for what is to come.


End file.
